John Fleck insists he and his Coventry City team-mates must seize the moment and make sure Friday night’s triumphant return to the Ricoh provides a platform on which to build.

“This is a massive club and we just have to kick on now because there’s no point winning in front of so many fans and then losing the next game,” he said, reflecting on the 27,000-plus turnout against Gillingham.

“The more fans we get the better it is for us and hopefully they’ll be back again on Saturday for the Yeovil game.

“All the boys loved being back at a full stadium. We were all playing with a smile on our faces and the fans helped us get through the game and get the victory.

“It was an exceptional night for everyone. We got a clean sheet and the win and it was definitely for the fans, who were incredible. And hopefully they’ll keep coming back now.”

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One of the more pleasing aspects of the night was how well the younger element of the team coped on the big stage, particularly Ryan Haynes who was so nervous on his Ricoh debut – which was the last time he played at the stadium in 2013 – that he threw up on the pitch.

“We have got some young boys and some more experienced lads here but I thought the younger ones who haven’t got much experience at the Ricoh handled it really well.

“It’s still early on in the season and I think some of us can still get better and there’s still a lot of work to do to get to where we want to be.

“We played some great football at times and we work on that in training every day, but I thought the attitude from every player to try to win the ball back was great on the night. That’s something the manager insists we do and I thought we did it really well.”

Fleck looked right on top of his game, seemingly thriving on the big stage, but the self-critical Scot said: “At times perhaps, but at others there are still one or two sloppy passes but that will come with more games.”

The one thing missing from the game was a second goal to settle the nerves, and Fleck went close to getting it with a sensational speculative lob midway in the Gillingham half that almost beat the keeper.

“I just saw the ball bounce and I didn’t see any of the strikers to pass to,” said the 23-year-old who scored with an almost identical move in his very first game for the club in a pre-season friendly at Accrington Stanley.

“I saw the keeper off his line and I just thought I’d have a pop. Unfortunately for me he just managed to get back and get a hand to it.

“I’ve done it before and scored so I thought I’d have a go.”

And while Fleck admits City could do with scoring a few more goals this season, with a tally of just nine from their first eight games in all competitions, he takes comfort from the fact that the Sky Blues are looking a lot tighter at the back this season.

“I think last season we would have lost that game,” he conceded.

“Obviously we could do with scoring a few more goals but the important thing is we’re keeping clean sheets now. With Reda Johnson and Andy Webster they are providing great experience in the defence to help the younger lads out.”